Five Steps of Sacrifice
by Lost-Remembrance
Summary: After Zoro trades his life for Luffy's in Thriller Bark. Possible AU.


Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece or any of the characters from the show.

Note: Sorry if this seems similar to any other type of One Piece fanfiction. There is no intent to copy anyone else's work. The end of the Thriller Bark arc has always been one of my favorites for the good Zoro whumpage!

Warning: Shifting POV with each number. Sorry for any OOCness.

**Five Steps of Sacrifice**

By: Lost-Remembrance (Red Tail)

**One**

Zoro felt the pain course through his body, burning nerve endings, breaking bones, and blood pouring through torn skin. His heart stuttered and his eyes were wide, teeth clenched in pain before a strangled scream he couldn't stop fought through his torn throat.

Kuma stared down at the swordsman, calculating, the briefest flutter of emotion-admiration perhaps?-as the first mate of the Mugiwara thrust his hands forward into the bubble of pain and exhaustion.

He waited patiently for the man to fall to his death or collapse in exhaustion and succumb to the inevitable. For him to bear the pain of his captain on top of what he already experiences was a feat no man could accomplish-especially one without the help of a devil fruit or some other super-human quality or ability.

The Pacifista left when the man remained standing. There was would be no pride in taking the man's head. Strawhat was lucky to have such a dedicated crew. He knew he would see them again.

**Two**

Sanji barely had enough time to try and comprehend what was happening when Zoro's body gave a strange sort of stutter and listed to the side. The cook rushed forward as the marimo collapsed. Sanji barely caught him, and when he arms wrapped around his nakama his grip momentarily faltered from the blood that seemed to coat his entire body.

His heart leapt in his throat when he looked down at the swordsman. For a moment, he thought the man had stopped breathing before he checked himself and saw he was breathing-just shallow-more shallow than any he had ever seen.

"Oi! Wake up! Wake up baka marimo!" The infamous pirate shouted down at the unconscious man. Not even a twitch. The peaceful, albeit bloody, face stirred a fear in his belly. He looked like death.

"Sanji?" He heard his crewmates shout his name and he turned slightly careful not to jostle Zoro. He still needed to find out what happened (There was so much blood) and kick the idiot's ass for that stunt (it was his choice damnit!).

"ZORO? SANJI?" The cries continued. Sanji looked at the bloodied area and picked up Zoro as carefully as he could, with Chopper's voice ringing in his head about moving a severely injured person, he started to make his way to their nakama. One he was away from the bloody area then he would call for their assistance.

He felt the blood start to soak his torn clothing and urged himself to go as quickly as possible. Chopper needed to take care of him ASAP.

There was so much blood.

**Three**

There was so much blood.

Chopper fought the worry and nervousness setting into his gut.

Zoro had been wounded countless times-just as his horrible sense of direction was a guarantee, so was his perchance to get into some sort of scuffle. Never had he seen the man in this rough a shape before. Zoro was a strong man and rarely complained. Even when he was injured he often trained and generally disregarded any and all doctor's orders.

How was it possible for the man to get this injured?

Last the reindeer remembered, that cyborg had compressed air to create a bomb that sent people flying. When he regained consciousness, Luffy was hopping around, acting more energized than physically possible after the battle he just had. He was a medical mystery!

Chopper forced himself and his mind back to the task at hand. He started documenting all the injuries Zoro had (mysteriously) accumulated and couldn't help but feel frantic.

He quickly turned to Robin and Nami who were hovering nearby for assistance. They rushed off as soon as he commanded them to go and fetch the necessary medical supplies and as much clean gauze as they could find.

An infection at this time would, quite simply, kill the man-even if he seemed to possess superhuman abilities. He was mortal, and Chopper felt that presence more than ever at the moment.

Deftly, he started to clean, strip, sew, and patch up the first mate of their patchwork crew. Without him and his silent strength, Chopper didn't dare think of any possibility without Zoro on their journey.

Luffy was hovering nearby. Although his strength and energy seemed genuine (after Chopper checked him over for signs of false energy), Luffy had a little too much energy for the doctor to handle at the moment.

He needed to concentrate and save his nakama's life.

**Four**

Robin had all the great attributes of a spy, which was perhaps one of the reasons why she had managed to survive for so long. She supposed it was one of her weaknesses that she felt she had to know everything, or perhaps it was just part of her hobby and goal.

Needless to say, when those two pirates were dragged off by Sanji, she knew whatever had happened was important, and something she couldn't ignore. She knew how to keep secrets, but some secrets could be deadly.

She didn't quite know why Cook-san wanted to find out before everyone else, or what he knew that made him suspicious of the two fellows, but whatever it was, the expression on his face meant it wasn't good.

Zoro had somehow ended up grievously injured while the rest of them were unconscious before Kuma. After he unleashed his shock wave, everything went dark. Whatever Cook-san was hiding could possibly mean the life or death of Roronoa Zoro. Thus, she decided to take matters into her own hands.

With the simple use of her Devil Fruit power, she listened in to the conversation and felt her gut churn. Her eyes flickered to Swordman-san and where Chopper was furiously treating him while the rest of the previously entrapped pirates basked out in the sun or joyously danced and ate food.

Nami was sitting by Chopper as the Doctor cataloged his work and made sure everything was in proper order. Although he did eat with the other members of the crew, it was clear his worry was on Zoro.

As the discussion ended, she let her spying ear disappear into petals, none the wiser to her actions.

She agreed with Sanji and hoped she would be able to find a way to repay the Swordman for his debt to the crew, and for not telling her Captain just what had occurred to leave him in such good health.

She bowed her head and knew Luffy wouldn't accept the fact that he was awake and merry while Zoro bore his pain and, according to Chopper, was almost at death's door.

Still, she couldn't help the smile that graced her face as she heard the pirates recount their events in private. She bowed her head and tilted her hat, "I see..." And she did.

The others around her, including Nami who happened to look at her fellow crewmate, were baffled by the expression on the historian's face. But then again, Nico Robin was a mysterious woman that few understood completely.

**Five**

Pain was what came first through the darkness.

Phantom aches and jolts of electricity that shot through him. He couldn't name the location. He felt strange, trapped in a dark world with no up or down, right or left.

The voices came next, the rise and fall of people talking. The distant cry of a gull. The clinking of plates and glasses against each other and against wood.

Teeth ground against teeth and he felt pain in his head. He struggled to open his eyes, but the light burned his corneas. He fought on. His hand twitched and the utter lack of a hilt in his hand, the absence of any one of his swords felt so distinctly wrong.

Pain shot through his spine, traveling from the tips of his toes, to the tips of his fingers, to the tips of his hair. He squashed the grunt that tried to break through his throat.

Excitement seemed to bubble around him, separate from his body, but tangible enough that he could feel it in the air and against his skin. Enthusiastic cries met his ears. He knew Luffy must be close by.

"Zoro? Zoro? Can you open your eyes? Are you okay? Tell me what hurts!" Chopper's worried voice seemed to switch tones, from nakama to no-nonsense doctor.

"Yea Zoro! Wake up so you can drink your share!" Came Luffy's enthusiastic voice-and damn if relief didn't sink in to his very bones at the sound of his Captain, alive and well, and knowing that Kuma was a man that didn't break his promise and was honorable.

Adrenaline was chased away by this relief that flooded his being. Luffy, his Captain, his friend, his nakama, was alright. "Baka marimo..." drifted to his ears before darkness claimed him once more, one which he willingly accepted, and decided that, just this once, it would be okay to rest and let Sanji look out for the crew and Luffy.

If that damn ero-cook did anything stupid, he would slice the bastard up tomorrow after he slept and found his swords.

**FIN**


End file.
